Community ManagerHey, All
To get this one reviewed by the right folks, I will need the following from everyone as soon as you can. Once we have all of the info below, we will forward it to the right teams so they can see what is happening.
@EA_Shepard
Primary issue: unable to enter any functional online multiplayer lobby of any game mode on the Asian server.
When attempting matchmaking in any game mode on the Asian server, it shows a match is found after a long wait; however, it will always show “Failed to connect to the game session, please try again” instead of getting into a game. In contrast, matchmaking on other servers (e.g., NA East and EU) allows players to join games almost immediately. (video linked)
Causes: Intensive lobby crashing by cheaters.
The cheaters use game modifications (Mods) that bring incompatible content into online games and result in lobby abnormal closing, known as lobby crashing. When cheaters crash all lobbies in the server, the server becomes unable to create any new functional lobbies leading to the current situation. A similar issue occurred many times in the first half of last year due to the cheater rampage; the only difference is that this time, only the Asian server (and potentially NA West) was affected whereas servers from all regions were broken by cheaters last year. For those not familiar with last year’s situation, please refer to the linked thread on global online multiplayer server dysfunction: https://answers.ea.com/t5/Other-Plants-vs-Zombies-Games/Old-Report-PvZ-GW2-unable-to-connect-to-Multiplayer-Servers/m-p/12331303/
Lobby crashing is among the most destructive forms of cheating in the game. It can cause not only server dysfunction but also pose a constant threat to all players. Players will lose all XP and coins earned in the game upon the lobby crashing.
• EA App/Steam/Epic: EA app
• EA ID/Steam user ID: THDNA
• Attach the EA App Error Report ID: Not Applicable
• The EA app logs can be found in C:\ProgramData\EA Desktop\Logs & C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Electronic Arts\EA Desktop\Logs
• Windows OS: Windows 10
• Windows OS version: Windows 10 Pro 22H2
• GPU model and driver version: RTX2070s 537.58
• Internet Service Provider: China Unicom
• Region: Northern China
• Are you using an internal or external drive? Internal drive
• Are you using an HDD or SSD? SSD
• Date this issue started (is it still happening?) Almost a month (about a week after EAAC implementation)
• Any other errors?
• Has the game been reinstalled? No, irrelevant.
• Have you power cycled your modem/router? No, irrelevant.
• Have you tried a different connection? Yes
• If possible, share a Screenshot or Clip: Refer to the video I just recorded: https://youtu.be/iMTmShG_aD8
The first few minutes show failed matchmaking in all game modes on the Asian server. Starting at 6:40, the remaining part shows fast and successful matchmaking on NA East and EU servers, along with normal gameplay despite high latencies.
• Can you attach a DxDiag? Not Applicable
Most information requested is irrelevant to the issues, but I am providing it anyway. I hope these satisfy certain SOPs that must be followed in EA for situations like this.
